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Apple acquired firmware security company LegbaCore in November 2015, according to security researcher Trammell Hudson, who revealed the acquisition in his presentation at the 32C3 conference in December. LegbaCore's goal, according to founder Xeno Kovah, is "to help build systems that are as secure as we know how to make."
In November, Kovah and fellow LegbaCore founder Corey Kallenberg revealed that they had joined Apple as full-time employees. Just a couple days before that, LegbaCore's website announced that it would "not be accepting any new customer engagements", noting that the website would remain up "to serve as a reference for LegbaCore's past work."
LegbaCore had collaborated with Hudson on Thunderstrike 2, the first firmware worm to affect Mac computers. The malware is impossible to remove, resistant to both firmware and software updates. LegbaCore and Hudson had alerted Apple to Thunderstrike 2's vulnerabilities and Apple began work on fixes, issuing one in June 2015.
On Twitter, Kovah said that Apple began discussions with LegbaCore after the consultancy's presentation in summer 2015. It soon became clear to Kovah and Kallenberg that Apple had "some *very* interesting and highly impactful work" that the two could participate in. They were eventually convinced to wind down LegbaCore's existing contracts and begin work at Apple.
What did Apple hire us to do? We can’t say. :) Well, we can probably say something like “low level security” (I don’t know our job titles) — Xeno Kovah (@XenoKovah) November 10, 2015
While LegbaCore is a security consultancy firm that doesn't own any specific technology, it's likely Apple will use Kovah and Kallenberg's talent and knowledge to help improve firmware and software security in future iterations of Apple's various hardware and software products. LegbaCore's work includes research on Thunderstrike 2, "dead code" for BIOS attacks and more.
(Thanks, Jost!)
Top Rated Comments
(View all)A car.
Just sayin'.
Of course it matters everywhere else too...
Apple will need an extended focus on this (the security / privacy environment will only get worse) so this is a good sign upper management really gets it. Go Apple - this is how you make sure I get a Mac next time I'm replacing a PC.
Stay tuned!
This rocks. If there is one thing Apple can do to distance itself from the competition (Google and Microsoft where your the product or your the product and shared with the NSA) its going all in on giving users privacy and security.
Plus now they have to worry about the government trying to backdoor their ass for the next few decades. No pun intended.Apple will need an extended focus on this (the security / privacy environment will only get worse) so this is a good sign upper management really gets it. Go Apple - this is how you make sure I get a Mac next time I'm replacing a PC.
1. Create exploit
The exploit already exists, they just find it and take advantage of it. Then they let Apple know. Then they tell Apple we will tell you how for a fee. Then profit2. Publicize exploit
3. ???
4. Profit
if they do nothing they release the exploit. Then no profit.
With that image it makes them look like they're a conglomerate for some jailbreaking organization. I Like it.
No, I think it means Apple is now being run by the Free Masons.